Jules, I'm paying the mechanic to do it right so I can only assume he is. It's Simon Jamison in Surrey Hills... Several members here go to him and recommend him. I'm a bit like Toolonglegs - I have broken 3 frames, 3 cranks, 2 handlebars, carbon forks, stems, seatposts, saddles, pedal axles, rims and countless spokes in 25 years of cycling so chains are hardly a surprise! The only surprise is that it was at the joining link and the 9 speed and 11 speed happened within a few weeks of each other,Andrew

panurge wrote:Notwithstanding all the good advice on this thread I will say that I've split andrejoined probably 100+ Shimano chains over the last 20 years using one of the regular pins and I've never had one fail on me.

So what special thing do you do to the regular pins and what do you weigh?

Nothing special, I just use a Park chain tool to push the pin so it's only in one outside link and then break the chain. Reverse the process to rejoin.

I weighed about 65kg at the start of the 20 years and about 72kg by the end. I blame living in Belgium for 8 years in the middle.

jules21 wrote:has anyone else tried to connect a chain with pins previously pushed out of the chain to shorten it?

Notwithstanding all the good advice on this thread I will say that I've split andrejoined probably 100+ Shimano chains over the last 20 years using one of the regular pins and I've never had one fail on me.

I think everyone did before 10 & 11 speed chains. I have joined 10 speeds the same way in an emergency and not had an issue... which is how I remember I have broken one road bike chain, descending the Koopenberg last year ( obviously wasn't peddling! ).

panurge wrote:Notwithstanding all the good advice on this thread I will say that I've split andrejoined probably 100+ Shimano chains over the last 20 years using one of the regular pins and I've never had one fail on me.

So what special thing do you do to the regular pins and what do you weigh?

Nothing special, I just use a Park chain tool to push the pin so it's only in one outside link and then break the chain. Reverse the process to rejoin.

I weighed about 65kg at the start of the 20 years and about 72kg by the end. I blame living in Belgium for 8 years in the middle.

Yeah yeah likely story. You're talking to Aussies here!

Foo

I don't suffer fools easily and so long as you have done your best,you should have no regrets.Goal 6000km

I've 3 trikes now all running 3 "tip-find" chains joined together with the afore mentioned method, and have yet to have one break, but I seriously doubt I put any where near the kind of power through them that most of you guys would. I've tried "re-peening" a few joins, but it doesn't seem to work well with my limited tools (hammer and hard place, basically), so I've since stopped trying.

It’s only on my current bike that I have actually started using chain joiners. Lets face it, one’s upon a time I never even knew they existed.

Previously I always rejoined chains using the original pins and secured the pin by giving the centre of the pin a gentle tap with a centre punch and hammer, expanding the end of the pin ever so slightly.

My favourite chain tool used to consist of a lump of steel with a 1/4” hole drilled in it that allowed me to tap a pin out with a small nail punch.

panurge wrote:Notwithstanding all the good advice on this thread I will say that I've split andrejoined probably 100+ Shimano chains over the last 20 years using one of the regular pins and I've never had one fail on me.

So what special thing do you do to the regular pins and what do you weigh?

Nothing special, I just use a Park chain tool to push the pin so it's only in one outside link and then break the chain. Reverse the process to rejoin.

I weighed about 65kg at the start of the 20 years and about 72kg by the end. I blame living in Belgium for 8 years in the middle.

My park tool has a collection of little metal rings on the pin which I have assumed come off the link pin when it's pushed out. There's no way I would be reusing those pins! Besides which, Shimano always gives you two with a chain, I have any number of spares kicking around.

twizzle wrote: Besides which, Shimano always gives you two with a chain, I have any number of spares kicking around.

I bought 3 new shimano chains when I made the Grizzly... only got one pin with each

Dent.

Only got one from my PBK order as well. If anyone has a spare shimano 10 speed link joiner thinghamy I'd be happy to paypal you a small sum of $$$ for it and postage. Seems as though most online shops don't want to sell these on their own. Just PM me. Thanks.

Have always shortened, lengthened and reconnected my chains using the original pin. I think I've broken one chain in 25 years. It comes down to doing it properly with a decent chain breaker. I also never remove my chain to clean it. It comes of only once it's worn out.

And once they went bushless, the pin is peened to stop it coming out and shouldn't be reused. As I said, my park tool has a collection of little metal rings which is the raised section on the pin which is sheared off when pushing the pin out.

YMMV, but a mate is waiting to get his frame back from being repaired after a rejoined chain using a new pin came apart in a sprint, ripped the derailleur off, trashed the carbon wheel and broke off part of the hanger mount on the frame. A $4.5K TT frame. Pushing a pin out doesn't do much for the side plates.

twizzle wrote:YMMV, but a mate is waiting to get his frame back from being repaired after a rejoined chain using a new pin came apart in a sprint, ripped the derailleur off, trashed the carbon wheel and broke off part of the hanger mount on the frame. A $4.5K TT frame. Pushing a pin out doesn't do much for the side plates.

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